Modern BP Pistols

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Swampy75

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I know this forum leans more toward traditional style BPs but just wanted to share a couple of my modern BP pistols. Right one takes a max load of 150 grains and typically I use a 238 grain Powerbelt with a 100 grain load, (150 hurts too much). Left one maxes out at 80 grains and I use the same weight Powerbelt for deer. 16FF5060-2221-4BBA-9E4D-AA3773964BC3.jpeg
 
Swampy75 said:
Accuracy is better at 80 grain but for ease of loading in the field with triple 7 pellets I would always go with the 100 grain.
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I'm sure you already know this, but real 2f or 3f black powder like goes is cheaper and less corrosive.
Measure out 80gr and dump it and your projectile in a pill bottle or something. (We used to have 35mm film canisters!).lol

That scoped handgun would make a dandy venison getter!
 
Armored farmer said:
I'm sure you already know this, but real 2f or 3f black powder like goes is cheaper and less corrosive.
Measure out 80gr and dump it and your projectile in a pill bottle or something. (We used to have 35mm film canisters!).lol

That scoped handgun would make a dandy venison getter!
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It's strange but where I did most of my deer hunting, (Iowa) there were not a lot of BP hunters so the real stuff was a little hard to find.
 
.38 Special said:
I wonder if 100 grains (let alone 150) burns completely in a handgun barrel. Have you done any velocity testing?
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Never had the set up to do velocity testing. I've only fired that 150 load 2 or 3 times. Hurts the wrist too much. It does have a 14" barrel on it.
 
You CANNOT compare granular muzzle loading POWDERS with pellets. Pellets burn at a different rate. I have a friend that substituted 150 grains of 777 granular powder for 3 pellets in his TC. IT RUINED HIS GUN. The breach plug buckled and stripped the threads. Many people believe that 2 pellets is closer to an actual 80 grains than to 100.

I don't know why people think they always have to load max in order to hunt. Like others on this thread, I've loaded 80 grains in a .50 and 90 grains in a .54 and have had excellent results. By the way 30 grains in a .50 is really good on rabbit and squirrel.
 
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Beautiful pistols brother thank you for sharing those with us. It'd be a shame not to throw 100 grains of 3f in there at least once. If your anywhere around western nc we can make it happen :)
 
It sounds like a POOR fitting breach plug more than anything else, like a over charge. That, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but 777 is not a BP substitute, grain per grain. It burns with more pressure and velocity than a equal amount of BP. The more I think of it the more have have trouble I have believing the story about the TC. I don't think it would matter how much BP you put down the barrel - with only one projectile the breech plug would not be injured.
I started muzzle loading back around 1971. Back then it was hammer guns and flintlocks and real BP. People did it because they liked to to things they it was done a 100/200 years ago. Now its morphed into modern crap for powders and inline guns. Most guys just do it to shoot another deer or extend their hunting season. Now it's just putting a couple of pellets down the barrel. We use to get a new gun and go to the target bench for a couple of hours of trying different loads for the best group with a patched round ball. You were reliving history. And you bought and read real books about it. It was fun. I feel sorry for all you guys missing out on what could be some very pleasurably hours spent shooting real BP guns. Just something to think about if you're not in too much of a hurry. Good shooting to all and kept your powder dry.
 
Thomasss said:
You CANNOT compare granular muzzle loading POWDERS with pellets. Pellets burn at a different rate. I have a friend that substituted 150 grains of 777 granular powder for 3 pellets in his TC. IT RUINED HIS GUN. The breach plug buckled and stripped the threads. Many people believe that 2 pellets is closer to an actual 80 grains than to 100.

I don't know why people think they always have to load max in order to hunt. Like others on this thread, I've loaded 80 grains in a .50 and 90 grains in a .54 and have had excellent results. By the way 30 grains in a .50 is really good on rabbit and squirrel.
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I agree. I have never hunted with the max load. I've ran the max load through it a few times just for the heck of it but the best accuracy was with 80 to 100 grain charges. 80 grains of loose T7 gave me close to same accuracy of 2 T7 pellets so I typically would run it with 2 pellets.
 
Blackpowderwarrior said:
Beautiful pistols brother thank you for sharing those with us. It'd be a shame not to throw 100 grains of 3f in there at least once. If your anywhere around western nc we can make it happen :)
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That is the plan, once I can find some of the real stuff on the shelf. Have not located any of it yet out here in Nor Cal.
 
paul harm said:
It sounds like a POOR fitting breach plug more than anything else, like a over charge. That, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but 777 is not a BP substitute, grain per grain. It burns with more pressure and velocity than a equal amount of BP. The more I think of it the more have have trouble I have believing the story about the TC. I don't think it would matter how much BP you put down the barrel - with only one projectile the breech plug would not be injured.
I started muzzle loading back around 1971. Back then it was hammer guns and flintlocks and real BP. People did it because they liked to to things they it was done a 100/200 years ago. Now its morphed into modern crap for powders and inline guns. Most guys just do it to shoot another deer or extend their hunting season. Now it's just putting a couple of pellets down the barrel. We use to get a new gun and go to the target bench for a couple of hours of trying different loads for the best group with a patched round ball. You were reliving history. And you bought and read real books about it. It was fun. I feel sorry for all you guys missing out on what could be some very pleasurably hours spent shooting real BP guns. Just something to think about if you're not in too much of a hurry. Good shooting to all and kept your powder dry.
Click to expand...
I can only speak for myself but I started hunting with a muzzle loader due to the fact that I hunted on public land. Opening day of shotgun season, on public land in eastern Iowa is not what I consider an enjoyable experience. I found that if I hunted the muzzle loading season in late January, I pretty much had the woods to myself. In addition, financially, a modern inline, with 100yd plus minute of deer accuracy, can be purchased for much less then a traditional style muzzle loading rifle. I started with a NEF break-open .50 cal that I bought brand new for $138 bucks. Find me a Kentucky or Hawken that I can pick up for that price and I'll be all over it. I am finally getting the, "Traditional bug" so to speak and picked up my first cap and ball. I still spent more on the cap and ball then I did on either one of the modern inline pistols. My next mission will be to pick up a traditional style rifle. I tend to migrate to the oddball type firearms just because I like the unique, so something like the CVA .54 double express is more my cup of tea :) thumb_free.jpg
 
Swampy75 said:
I know this forum leans more toward traditional style BPs but just wanted to share a couple of my modern BP pistols. Right one takes a max load of 150 grains and typically I use a 238 grain Powerbelt with a 100 grain load, (150 hurts too much). Left one maxes out at 80 grains and I use the same weight Powerbelt for deer. View attachment 999290
Click to expand...

I’m waiting for a modern revolver in a smaller package than the Ruger Old Army. Maybe a Ruger Old Navy with 35 grain chamber capacity and 7 inch barrel? I’d buy and carry that thing.
 
Paul Harm? Are you talking in riddles? 777, on the label says it is a "Muzzle Loading Powder". No where did anyone say it was the same as BP. By your own admission 777 is more powerful than BP. According to the last mfgr. description, it is 15% more powerful. No one stuffed the TC with BP. He dropped 150 grains of FF 777 granular down the barrel under a Power Belt type sabot.

My comment to this thread is for people simply understand, one cannot compare 777 Pellets to 777 granular powder and think they are talking about the same force or pressure in a load.
If you don't believe it, that's up to you. Why don't you prove it and do the same to your in-line. Just remind us to stand 20 ft away before you pull the trigger.
 
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Thomasss said:
Paul Harm? Are you talking in riddles? 777, on the label says it is a "Muzzle Loading Powder". No where did anyone say it was the same as BP. By your own admission 777 is more powerful than BP. According to the last mfgr. description, it is 15% more powerful. No one stuffed the TC with BP. He dropped 150 grains of FF 777 granular down the barrel under a Power Belt type sabot.

My comment to this thread is for people simply understand, one cannot compare 777 Pellets to 777 granular powder and think they are talking about the same force or pressure in a load.
If you don't believe it, that's up to you. Why don't you prove it and do the same to your in-line. Just remind us to stand 20 ft away before you pull the trigger.
Click to expand...

I know this wasn't addressed to me but I was curious to see if Hodgdon's website addressed this.It does not have any notations about burn rate difference or pressure difference between granular or pellet. I'm not saying that there is not a difference but I find it unusual in today's litigation happy public that Hodgdon would not present that information in an easy to find format.

An interesting side note that I discovered while on their website has to do with the T7 Magnum pellets. That's what I was using back several years ago during the workup for the pistol load. Apparently the, "Magnum" nomenclature on that product is due to the fact that each pellet is the equivalent to 60 grains of T7. I dug up the box that is left over from then, (I wanna say around 2012 maybe?)and no where on that box does it state that each pellet is 60 grain equivalent. So consequently, when I was loading 3 of the T7 Magnums into that pistol, I was actually firing off 180 grains thinking I had a 150 grain charge. No wonder that crap hurt.
 
I have to agree with Paul Harm, that breech should not have come apart. Granted that 777 is more energetic, it may not be the absolute reason the gun failed. When you have guys on YouTube stuffing a muzzleloaders barrel almost completely full of powder and it holds ya gotta ask what was wrong the one that did fail.
 
The gun owner did file a complaint and after a long hassle the gun was repaired at no cost to him. My concern for mentioning this situation is simply for understanding different powders and their safe use within the sporting community.

Watch for another thread on this subject. It might surprise everyone
 
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